Café Team Rose!
by MelonKakigori
Summary: Living in the big city of Grand Metropolis, Amy has been madly in love with Sonic for as long as she can remember! While Sonic and his team are off on another adventure, Amy is running her very own café with her team, Café Team Rose! Hoping to impress him when he returns, will he visit the café and enjoy the experience? If he does, will he realize her hard work and fall in love?
1. Episode 01: Welcome to Café Team Rose!

It was an exciting day for Amy Rose! She was inside her new café with her closest friends, Cream and Big. They were finishing up their last minute preparations before the grand opening! Amy was totally loving the atmosphere. The place was lit up with colorful lights and just screamed pink and girly, suiting her style perfectly! Cream added in her own personal touch by setting different kinds of cute stuffed animals and Chao plushies on the counters, couches, and some of the dining chairs. As for Big, he was content watching the two girls decorate. But he was sure a big help lifting and carrying the heavy stuff!

"This place looks awesome!" Amy exclaimed. "Cream, you're almost done with the banner?"

"Yes, almost done Amy!" the little rabbit responded. She was doing a good job hanging up the long "Welcome" banner. There was no need for a ladder since she's able to fly with her long, floppy ears! She also had her two Chao, Cheese and Chocola helping out.

"Great! Did you make sure the soda fountain is working all right, Big?" Amy turned around to ask the large purple cat. She noticed he was holding a clear plastic cup in his right hand, half-filled with orange liquid.

"Mhmm. I thought having some of the orange soda would be nice after all that work." said Big, confirming what the drink was in his hand.

Amy had a puzzled look on her face. What did he mean by "after all that work"? It wasn't like the machine had been broken and needed to be fixed or anything. She just wanted to make sure it could pour the drinks properly. If something was wrong with the machine, Big could have quickly brought it to her attention. There was really no sort of "work" involved. In fact, that was the only job he was assigned at the moment!

"OK... That's good then." Amy said, sorta laughing it off now.

"Done!" both Amy and Big heard Cream announce. The banner was now stretched out across the room! Amy was happy with the results and praised her, "Great work, Cream! Now we can open up!"

"Very good." Big added.

Cream was glad the banner turned out as planned. She then flapped her ears a few times before her feet met the ground.

"All right, you guys! We have lots of people waiting outside, so let's get going!" said Amy, beaming with positive energy!

"OK!" Cream and Big said.

Amy then led her team to the front entrance. Even though she was pretty confident and excited about her café, she still had to take a deep breath to ease her nerves. This was it. It was showtime. Remembering her goal of running a great establishment for her one-true-love, she puts on a confident smile before opening the door!

The crowd of Mobians which mostly consisted of girls were chatting with one another until Amy stepped out to shout, "Hello, everyone! Thanks for waiting!"

Stepping out to let Cream and Big show themselves, she continued, "We're now open! Welcome to Café Team Rose!"

The crowd clapped and cheered as they flooded right in! Either they were super hungry or they really wanted to see what Team Rose had in store for them!

"Whoa!" said Amy, almost falling back from the rushing Mobians! Cream was lucky to have Big there to scoop her up in time!

"Thank you, Mr. Big." Cream said thankfully with a smile.

"Huhuhuhu. You're welcome." said Big. He was happy to help.

As the storm of Mobians started to clear up, Amy saw a panda girl with round glasses drop her beige tote bag and the books she was carrying on the ground. What a mess! Amy wasn't going to let her newest customer pick up everything by herself! She went straight over and started helping her out.

"Thank you so much..." said the soft-spoken panda with blushing red cheeks. She was clearly embarrassed.

"No problem!" Amy said. It was truly not a problem at all, until she came across a few things amongst the fallen items... There was a Sonic themed notebook! A Sonic pen! A Sonic shaped eraser! Photos of Sonic! Was that a signed autograph!?

Amy no longer thought of her as an ordinary customer, but a rival! However, she had to keep it professional and pretended as if she was totally fine with it. As long as she wasn't his girlfriend or anything, she had to at least...somewhat accept there were big fans of Sonic like her.

Picking up the last book, Amy stood up to hand over the stack she collected, "There you go!"

The panda stood up as well to receive the books, "Once again, thank you so much."

After a bow which genuinely expressed her thanks, the panda took her leave and went inside the café. Encountering her newest "rival" made Amy even more fired up to succeed!

"Cream! Big! There's no time to waste! Let's get to work!"

* * *

 **To be continued! Team Rose will be right back!**


	2. Episode 02: What a BIG Mess!

Catchy pop music was playing in the background as many of the customers have already taken their seats. Some were still standing up to read the menu board while others were lined up to win a prize at the claw machine. It was totally packed, but this was way too much to handle since it was only the three of them! Amy could only stand there with widened eyes, overwhelmed at the sight. Cream was feeling the same way, hiding behind the taller pink hedgehog with worried eyes. Big was standing behind the two girls, definitely taking it harder than them and said, "There's too many of them! Let's go home..."

What were they going to do?

Amy might have been clueless, but she knew going home wasn't the answer! As the leader of Team Rose and the creator of the café, she had to reject that idea on the spot! Turning around to face him, she says, "No way, Big! We can't just leave everyone here hanging! Come on! Let's work together and serve as many people as we can! We got a business to run!"

"But, how...?" asked Cream, looking up at her determined friend. She couldn't really picture being fast enough to do that, but she was willing to listen.

"I'm not exactly sure, but we have to try!" said Amy, not letting anything change her mind. "Here's the plan! Big, you're going to help me go to each table and write down those orders! Cream, you help your mom cook a lot at home, so I'm leaving the cooking to you!"

Was this really a good idea? Amy at least had Big to help her out, but Cream will have to prepare all those orders by herself! Amy seemed to have forgotten that she's only six, and her mom was still doing most of the cooking. Poor Cream!

"Wh...what? Amy, I don't think I-"

As the little rabbit tried to speak up, Amy was ready to get moving and gave a positive, "Let's go!"

"OK!" said Big with a nod. He then said to the green frog on his right shoulder, "Let's do our best, Froggy."

"Wait! I...!"

Cream tried again, but the two already went off to work. After a sigh, Cream went to the kitchen which was located in the back of the café. She was so worried. She really wanted to finish what she had to say. Cheese and Chocola sympathized with her as they fluttered along.

"Chao..." Cheese could only sadly say.

* * *

As Cream waited for the upcoming orders, Amy, of course, was in a total rush! She wrote down orders with speed on a notepad, sweating to get to the next table and then the next. She had so much on her plate, but she got into the role of being a waitress pretty well! But she did make some beginner mistakes and had to redo some of the orders.

"Medium fries with a strawberry milkshake? Coming right up!" said Amy as she departed from the table. But the girl who ordered the fries and milkshake called her back and corrected her. She wanted a blueberry milkshake.

"Oh, I'm sorry! I'll change that right away!"

Crossing out "1 Strawberry Milkshake" and writing underneath, "1 Blueberry Milkshake", Amy went to the next table.

* * *

Big, on the other hand...

"So... You wanted a burger without the tomato?" he asked for the 50th time to a customer. The customer, who seemed to be a spaniel dog in her late teen years was fed up with Big's slow, inaccurate service. And she should be. That's a lot of times to be repeating yourself!

"No! I said I wanted a burger without the tomato AND the pickles! I want a small salad! No fries!"

"...OK. So, one burger...without the tomato...pickles...onions..."

"KEEP the onions!"

"Sorry!" Big said, putting "onions" back on the list and repeats, "I have one burger without the tomato and pickles."

There was hope! The dog was so glad he finally got it right and said, "Yes! That's right!"

"I will also be back with your fries and salad."

...Maybe not.

"I said no fries! Ugh, can I speak with your manager!?"

"M-My manager? Um, OK..."

That didn't sound like good news to Big at all. But he went to find Amy and found her laughing and having a good time at a table of four. All at the same time, she was jotting down their orders.

"Um, Amy? Do you have a moment?"

"Huh?" she turned around and saw Big standing behind her, "Oh, hey Big! I don't have much time to chat, but what's up?"

"A doggy customer on Table... Um... I forgot what table, but she wants to speak to the manager. So, I came to find you."

Her first call as a manager! Could it be a positive review of her café? Did the customer want to meet her because of the wonderful experience? Or, did something bad happen? She hoped it wasn't the latter part. Only one way to find out, and that's by going. But how can she go if he forgot what table!? If they searched together, it would take up time, so Amy decided to look by herself.

"Uhhh, I'll go find that table! Here, take these orders to Cream!" said Amy, quickly giving him her notepad before heading off. Big did as he was told and went to the kitchen.

* * *

When he walked inside, he saw Cream softly crying to herself with both hands covering her face. Surprised to see her so sad, he wondered what happened? He didn't want her to cry. Forgetting all about the orders, he approached her to ask, "What's wrong? Don't cry, cute rabbit."

After a few sniffles, she responds, "I...really don't know if I can do this... I don't know what to do, Mr. Big... Amy trusted me..."

"Trusted you...? ...Oh, do you mean the cooking?"

"*sniffle* Yes..."

At that moment, Big realized that cooking for a lot of people by yourself, especially someone her age, was going to be a lot of work. Coming to this realization, he had an idea that would make a difference!

"Don't worry!" began Big with a smile, "Amy said we have to work together, and I'm going to help you!"

"Are...you sure? Didn't Amy tell you to take orders...?"

Big nodded and said, "Mhmm. But, it'll be fine. I don't think I'm very good at taking orders, to be honest. I get confused..."

Cream was so happy and relieved! Her tears came to a stop and smiled up at him, "Thank you so much, Mr. Big! I feel much better now."

Cheese and Chocola were happy, too! The twins danced and cheered in the air, "Chao Chao!"

* * *

Meanwhile, Amy was muttering to herself about how inconvenient Big made her search. She kept going to tables where dogs of all kinds were seated, but none of them said they requested her. If only Big didn't forget that table number. It took a bit, but her search soon came to end as she finally found the table!

"Hi! I'm the manager of Café Team Rose! Did you ask for me?" she asked the spaniel sitting there.

"Yeah! I was wondering where you were! I was starting to think that dumb employee of yours couldn't even do THAT right..."

"Hahaha! Yeah, here I am! What can I-?"

Wait a minute. Amy just realized something. Did she just say, "dumb employee"? What did she mean by, "couldn't even do that right?" That could only mean one thing. Big made this customer, apparently, very upset. "Um, I'm sorry, but is there a problem here, ma'am?"

"Of course there is!" the spaniel snapped, "I kept asking over and over and over again for a few things, and that fat cat just won't listen to me! I lost count how many times he had to correct my order!"

Either she's just really displeased with the service or she's just really unfriendly overall. Probably both. Regardless of which, Amy had to keep it professional and calm her down. "V-Very sorry, ma'am! Um, how about a discount on your meal today?"

Angrily getting up from her chair, she says, "No thanks! I won't be back! Just take care of him before someone else has to put up with him!"

"Waaaait!" Amy called out to the leaving customer. After taking a few more steps to chase after the spaniel, Amy came to a stop. There was nothing she could do but to just watch her go. Unless, she was willing to pay the price and look desperate by continuing the chase. Now Amy was boiling with anger! She had a thing or two to say to Big, and it won't be pretty.

* * *

Stomping in her red boots towards the kitchen, Amy stormed in and yelled, "BIIIIG!"

Amy's outburst startled both Big and Cream! Things couldn't get any worse for the new manager, but it did! The kitchen was a total mess for some reason! What happened!? Since Cream was in charge of the kitchen, she immediately wanted an explanation from her. "OK Cream, why is it a mess in here!?"

"Oh Amy, it was awful!" Cream began as she was wiping up the spilled milkshake on the countertop with a damped towel, "I had the blueberry milkshake ready, but Cheese and Chocola were playing and accidentally knocked it over!"

"Don't blame the cute rabbit! I knocked over things, too!" Big added, nervously sweeping up the shattered glass that came from plates and cups with a broom. Realizing Froggy wasn't on his shoulder anymore, he paused his cleaning to say, "Where's Froggy!?"

Amy could only think of 6 words. You've got to be kidding me.

* * *

 **To be continued! Team Rose will be right back!**


	3. Episode 03: General Amy Rose!

Closing time finally came around. If someone had to draw a pie chart, about 70% of the customers left unsatisfied before then, 20% stayed because they got their food on time, while the remaining 10% stayed because they were more interested in their claw machine than actually sitting down to eat! The "grand" opening? More like, a grand failure! Something definitely needed to change if Café Team Rose was going to make it in the competitive world of cafés! And more importantly for Amy, her café needed to be successful for Sonic! For once, she was glad he wasn't around to see what went down today. Even though it was a long day for the team of three, Amy still had Cream and Big sit down in one of the back rooms for an urgent staff meeting. At least for Big, he found Froggy before the meeting, and that gave him some comfort.

The way Amy paced back and forth with a stern expression made Cream and Big feel like they were in the military! The room was silent, except for the tapping of her red boots on the hard flooring. The silence was soon broken as Amy began to speak, "All right, you two. Today was a total disaster, and you know it. But first, let's start with Big."

"Uh oh..." said Big. Why did he have to be first? Cream couldn't be completely relieved she wasn't chosen first. She was too concerned about her purple cat friend, and she knew she was going to be next.

Stopping in her tracks to face him, she asks, "How many orders did you take today?"

"Ummm..." He dreaded admitting how many, but he had to tell the truth, "One."

"Only one!?"

"Yes! I'm sorry!" cried Big, covering his face with his large hands.

Amy couldn't believe it! She was really doing all the work today! Cream was nervous, but she couldn't bear seeing him go through this alone and said, "Mr. Big told me he was confused about taking orders, so he decided to help me in the kitchen! He was so very kind! Please don't be upset, Amy!"

So that explains why Big was still in the kitchen! Amy only told him to give Cream the orders she's taken, and that shouldn't have taken long at all! It seemed to be true that taking orders wasn't a good fit for him, hence the fact he's only taken one order the whole day and causing the only customer he had to never come back. Folding her arms and remembering the shattered dishes on the floor, Amy responds, "It looks like he's not very good at cooking either..."

Cream shook her head and said, "I don't think so. He just accidentally bumped and dropped some things. But together, the food came out good, and we had fun doing it. Right, Mr. Big?"

Big gave a nod and said, "Mhmm. It was fun."

"I'll be the judge of that!" Amy said. Even if the food looked presentable, the taste is what really mattered in the end. Besides, by the looks of things when she came in the kitchen, she only saw a few dishes made! If anything, they needed to stop being so clumsy while at the same time, put some speed on it! Amy wanted this from them. "Fun" was the last thing on her mind.

"But, Amy...!" Cream was about to remind her the importance of teamwork and having fun, but Amy refused to listen to anything else about the matter, "No buts, Cream!"

Cream was surprised at the response. Wasn't she the one who said they had to work together? Wasn't this the whole point of Team Rose itself? Cream was sadden by this, her big expressive eyes showing it. She wanted the cheerful, supportive Amy back. This was becoming too much for the little rabbit, and Big, too.

Big sharply rose up from his seat and exclaimed, "I'm going home! I don't like this place anymore!"

"What!? H-How come?" asked Amy, unaware of how much stress she's actually putting on them.

"You're being so mean to me and the cute rabbit! I thought we were a team, and I'm not happy at all!"

"Yes..." Cream softly added.

Looking back for a moment, Amy realized she was being a bit too hard on them. But it was never her intention to upset them like this. She was under a lot of stress managing the café and serving the large crowd they had. Cream and Big's mistakes also didn't make today any easier. Despite all of this, Amy still believes they were a team. Before they were café workers, they were rightful members of Team Rose and her best friends! She had to let them know this and turn things around for the better.

"...You're right." Amy said, looking down at her feet as she felt disappointed in her recent actions, "I'm sorry, you guys... I got too carried away. It was a hard day for me... No, for all of us."

Looking back up to respond to Big, she continued, "Big, we are a team. We're Team Rose! You both are my best friends! I want this café to work, sure, but I don't want this to ruin the bonds we have! I hope you can forgive me."

Big was about to leave, but he listened and turned back around. He was touched by her words. Cream felt her sincerity too, and said with a smile in her usual soft voice, "Amy..."

He also gave a smile of his own and nodded to show his forgiveness, "It's OK, Amy. You're one of my closest buddies, too. I forgive you."

"I'm so happy! Thank you!" said Amy in good spirits again! "Does that mean you'll...?"

"Mhmm. I'm still going to work here. Don't worry." said Big.

"I'm so glad!" said Cream, "I want to work here still too, Amy."

"That's awesome!" said Amy. Like Cream, she was glad Big was going to stay, and that they were all still friends. Realizing that they've probably been in this room longer than an hour, she decided it was time to wrap things up for tonight. "I don't know about you guys, but I'm beat! Let's call it a night. But, there's one last thing I want to say. I think our main problem was we opened the café totally unprepared. So, this time, I think we should practice so we can all be good at cooking and taking orders! Until we get more people to help out, we can feel more confident taking turns cooking and waiting tables. Speaking of more people, I say we should make some cute posters for our café and post them anywhere we can in Grand Metropolis!"

"That's a great idea Amy!" said Cream, "I can't wait to work on the posters."

"Chao Chao!" cheered Cheese and Chocola!

"I like this idea, too." said Big, "I want to be better at taking orders and cooking."

"Awesome!" said Amy, "But if you want to get some practice in, you better come to the café early in the morning! OK, Team Rose! We got ourselves a plan!"

* * *

 **To be continued! Team Rose will be right back!**


	4. Episode 04: Let's Play Café!

Yesterday was full of disappointment and broken dishes, but now is the start of a new day! This meant a second chance for Café Team Rose! Amy was inside the café early that morning as planned. She moved on from yesterday's troubles and was in a better mood. Establishing practice sessions and the plan to create posters made her feel hope again. She also felt good knowing that everything was resolved between her and her friends. Now, she only had the future to look forward to, and of course, Sonic! She was thinking of him while sitting on a fuchsia colored couch in the café. Where was he? When was he coming back to Grand Metropolis? Was Dr. Eggman giving him trouble? Was he thinking of her during his adventure? All of this was racing through her mind. Even though she had time to get her café under control, she was still so excited to see him again! She's a girl in love!

"Oh, I wonder where Sonic is!" said Amy, putting her face down on a flower shaped cushion. She was now lying on her stomach on the couch, hugging the soft cushion. She didn't care if anyone saw her like this. She wanted some time to sulk.

* * *

Moments later, the front door opened. The bells that were attached above the glass door jingled to alarm someone entered. It was Big! But he was greeted by a seemingly depressed Amy who was lying down on the couch. Or, was she just taking a nap before practice? It was early in the morning after all. He couldn't tell since her face was facedown on the cushion.

Walking over to the couch, he asked, "Uh... Amy? What are ya doing?"

Refusing to get up but knowing the voice was Big's, she kept her face in the cushion and replies with a muffled voice, "What?"

"I came to practice..."

"...Oh...yeah...practice. Maybe later..."

"Huh? Whaddya mean later? I thought you said you wanted us to practice so we can get better. But, now that I think about it, the cute rabbit isn't here yet..."

"Yeah, I'm just waiting for Cream, not Sonic! Let's go with that!"

Big was too oblivious to recognize the sarcasm. Although, he could feel something was off, but couldn't quite put his finger on it. Maybe she really was waiting for Cream. They couldn't start without her, so it sounded true enough.

* * *

It was a quiet wait since Amy clearly wasn't in the mood to talk, but Cream eventually made it to the café! She came in through the front door, smiling with her two floating Chao, "Hi!"

"Oh, goodie! Now we can practice!" said Big.

Amy had to make it look like she was only "just waiting for her" by quickly jumping up, ready to practice like nothing happened, "There you are Cream! That's right! Time for practice!"

"OK!" said Cream.

"Uh... How do we practice...?" Big asked.

"Easy!" she said, hopping down from the couch, "We're gonna play a game!"

That sounded like fun to Cream and Big! So Cream asked, "How do we play?"

"We're going to take turns pretending to be a customer!" Amy began, "Cream, you're going to be our first customer while Big and I work together!"

She wanted to see for herself how Big took orders. Then she could show him the ropes on how to do it right! But Big still felt the pressure. Practice or not, he didn't want to make mistakes that would cause Amy to lash out like she did before!

"Uh... Can I work with the cute rabbit instead?" he asked, taking a chance to see if Amy was willing to be the customer.

"Nope!" said Amy. She already had her plan in mind. "Don't worry, you two will get a chance to work together. But for now, Cream is going to play the customer."

Since there was nothing he could do, he only gave a short response, "Oh..."

"I think this will be fun. Right, Cheese? Chocola?" said Cream.

"Chao Chao!" the two Chao cheered. They were excited!

"All right!" Amy said, "Cream, go outside and come back in like you're a brand new customer! Big, show me how you would greet and take her to a table! But remember, she's not Cream, a new customer! OK?"

"OK!" Cream said with a nod before exiting the café.

"Okey dokey." said Big.

* * *

*ring ring* went the bells as Cream opened the door. She walked in, pretending as if she's never been to Café Team Rose before. She decided to really get into character and have some fun with it! "Wow!" she said as she looked around, taking in the "new" atmosphere, "What a cute café! I can't wait to eat here!"

Amy was hiding underneath one of the round tables to pretend she wasn't there. Did she really think she was fooling anyone by hiding there? Why didn't she hide behind a wall or something? She wouldn't be nearly as visible! At least she was...sorta out the way. But she gave Big his cue by whispering, "Go!"

Big hesitated for a moment before he walked over to the "new customer", "Uhh... Hi, cute rabbit! Can I take your order?"

"Cut!" said Amy, almost as if this was a movie production! She crawled out from underneath the table to say, "Big, you don't just randomly call a customer "cute"! Remember, she is not Cream, you don't know her! Also, don't take her order right then! Ask her something, like, "How many today?" and take her to a table!" After that, the pink hedgehog crawled back underneath the table to observe his next move.

"O-Oh!" Big said, quickly correcting himself, "Uh, welcome to the café, miss... How many today...?"

"Three!" Cream replied. She wanted Cheese and Chocola to play, too!

"OK." said Big, leading her to a free table. He could pretty much choose any table he wanted since there wasn't any real customers around. Selecting a table by the window, Cream took a seat and was handed three of their colorful menus. He then asked, "Can I take your-?"

Amy knew exactly what he was going to say and butted in, "Give her time to think!"

"L-Let me know when you're ready!" he said as he nervously left the table.

Cream gave a smile before he left. The little rabbit knew he was trying his best. She had the three menus placed side by side on the table so Cheese and Chocola can have a look.

* * *

A few minutes flew by and Cream was ready to order! Raising her right hand up, she called out, "Mr. Waiter!"

It was the moment of truth! Amy was paying even more close attention now. Big turned back around to head over to the table, "Yes, cute ra- I mean! Uh, yes?"

"We're ready to order now." said Cream as she smiled up at him.

"OK..." He opened up his notepad with a pen in his hand and asked, "What would you like...?"

"I would like one slice of apple pie and two small bowls of fruit salad. But, please don't forget the ice cream to go with the pie."

Amy noticed how slow Big was writing as she was talking. Was this the reason he was so forgetful? She remembered the angry customer who left yesterday that said she had to keep repeating the order over and over to him. Maybe he was spending too much time writing and then forgetting the rest of the order!

Big stopped writing to say, "Uh... I got pie."

Cream couldn't help but giggle. It wasn't the complete order, but did it really take that long to write the word, "pie"? Just pie? Patient and polite, the little rabbit didn't mind and said, "Yes, but I wanted the apple pie with ice cream to go with it."

"Okey dokey!" he smiled back and started to slowly write again while saying aloud, "Apple...Ice...cream..."

Amy saw enough. She knew exactly what his problem was now. "Cut!" she blurted out as she crawled out again. Big and Cream both turned their attention to her as she began, "Big, you're writing too slow, so we've got to work on that. You were lucky Cream gave you a small order to work with, but other people will most likely have longer ones."

"Oh..." said Big, understanding what she meant. He did write pretty slow, but he had a reason for it. So, he said, "I like my handwriting to be neat so I know what it says..."

"I wish I would've known that sooner!" Amy said, "You don't have to write super neat when you're taking orders! People like fast service, and sometimes, it can be a lot to remember. So you've got to write fast! It takes practice, but as long as you can read it, you'll be fine!"

Big gave a nod and said, "Okey dokey! I will write faster now."

Amy then gave a little recap so the game could continue, "OK! So, Cream said she wanted a slice of apple pie with a side of ice cream. Do you remember what else she wanted, Big?" She knew the answer, but wanted to see if Big did, too.

"Uhhh..." he had to think for a moment, but figured it out! "Fruit salad! Uh, two small bowls!"

"Yes! You did it, Mr. Big!" said Cream. She was so happy for her friend! He got it right!

"Great job, Big!" Amy got up from the floor to cheer!

"I did it! I did it, Froggy!" Big exclaimed, feeling so proud of himself! He wasn't so "dumb" after all! But once again, Froggy was no where to be found! "...Froggy? Where are you, little buddy!?"

Both of the girls laughed as this was a typical situation between him and the frog. They took a break from the game to help him look for his missing friend. They figured he was still inside the café, probably underneath a table. Amy's favorite hiding spot!

* * *

 **To be continued! Team Rose will be right back!**


	5. Episode 05: Posters And Fangirls!

The sun was now high in the sky as it shined all across the city of Grand Metropolis! Morning seemed to have left as quickly as it came. It was time for lunch! The clock hanging in the café ticked away, showing it was almost time to open shop! The clock was a shade of electric pink in the shape of a heart. Totally something Amy would have hanging up to fit their team's style! Big was lucky to have found Froggy before they opened up! He had the green frog raised up in his large hands as he spun around in joy, "I'm so happy I found you, buddy! Did you see the game we were playing? She wanted apple pie and fruit salad...two small bowls! Huhuhuhu."

Cream was smiling as she watched yet another reunion between the two. Amy was glad for him too, but she wished Froggy wasn't so troublesome! Sort of the same way Sonic feels about her when she winds up missing or kidnapped, but not like she would admit to that. He comes to her rescue anyway in the name of love! At least, that's what she believes. As opening time reached closer and closer, Amy brought it to their attention, "Looks like it's almost time to open, guys! Are you ready to take some orders like a pro, Big?"

It wasn't likely Big was going to be a total pro right off the bat, but getting Cream's order right during practice gave him the confidence boost he needed, "Mhmm. I'm going to write fast and do my best."

"Awesome!" Amy said, "Cream, think you can go on kitchen duty again?"

It was surprising to Cream that Amy still trusted her after all that went down yesterday. But they still needed someone to cook, so that's understandable. As much as she loved to cook with her mom, she knew she couldn't truly cook on her own. She also didn't want to disappoint Amy at the same time by saying so. But given the chance to speak up this time, she says, "Oh...about that... Amy, I wanted to tell you that...I don't really know how to cook..."

"Huh?" Still not considering her age, Amy couldn't understand why she doesn't know how. Whenever she came over to Cream's house, she often saw her helping her mom, Vanilla in the kitchen. Sometimes she would join in the fun, too! But then again, she still couldn't cook quite as good as Vanilla, so maybe that was the case? "How come? I thought you and your mom were a pretty awesome cooking duo! The food comes out great!"

An awesome cooking duo!? A complement like that made Cream blush a bit and became a little flustered, "Y-Yes, but...my mom lets me do things like pour the ingredients in a bowl and mix it together. I don't know how to measure, use the oven, or any of that! When Mr. Big and I were cooking together, it was the first time I was able to use the oven without my mom's permission..."

Amy finally understood it now! How could she give a six year old who normally cooks with her mom such a big responsibility? But that's how much she believed in Cream! Since her mom was an awesome cook, Amy still believed that her little friend has what it takes, too! Besides, Team Rose's adventures were way more dangerous than handling a hot oven, so she knew Cream would be just fine! "Don't you worry, Cream! That's exactly why I wanted us to practice! Didn't you see Big improve today? Someday, you're gonna be just as good as your mom! I know you can do it!"

Big gave a nod and added, "You even helped me when we were cooking together. I didn't know how to turn on a blender, but you did. Huhuhuhuhu."

Hearing these things made the little rabbit smile. At that moment, she felt like she had the two most amazing friends ever! She wouldn't trade them for the world! "Do you really mean that...? I'm so very happy!"

Amy smiled back, "I meant every word! Are you ready, Team Rose? It's time for work!"

* * *

It's been an hour since they opened. No one has stepped foot in the café! Mobians big and small would occasionally glance at their building, but walk right by. Amy was sitting at a table by the window. With her right elbow on the table, resting her chin on her closed hand, she watched as the lunch crowd moved along from the window. She was so bored. Cream was sitting across from Amy at the table with Chocola resting on her lap and Cheese on top of her head. She wasn't bored like her, but wondered why no one stopped by. Big wanted to see how well he could wait tables now, but was content with the slowness. He preferred lazy days like this because of his lifestyle in the forest. Did the first day of their café ruin it for the long run? What happened?

Amy broke the silence with a sigh. She was getting impatient and said, "I know our first day was a rocky start, but come on! Someone eat here already!"

Cream didn't want to feed into the negativity, but she had to admit the slowness was worrying, "I hope someone comes soon..."

Amy couldn't sit around and wait any longer! She had to do something to get the ball rolling again! Getting up from her seat with an idea in mind, the pink hedgehog got up and said, "Let's get started on those posters!"

Cream smiled when she brought up the posters! She almost forgot about it and said, "Let's do it!"

"Want to help out, Big?" Amy asked. She didn't want him to feel left out.

"OK." Big said. He didn't mind at all.

"All right! It's a good thing we got computers in the back, so let's get started!" Amy then led the two in the back room to begin the decorating!

* * *

There were three computers and comfy swivel chairs waiting for them as they entered the room. Amy might have been unprepared during the grand opening, but when it comes decorating, she's your girl! Since Cream and Big didn't know how, she turned on the computers for them and pulled up the software. Then they all took a seat and started working on their posters! Amy clicked and dragged her ideas onto the screen after giving it some thought. Cream had to think about it a bit longer before she got to work. But when she did, she really enjoyed using the computer to decorate! As for Big, he was still doing some "deep" brainstorming.

After dragging the last 3D heart sticker by the name of their café, Amy announced, "Done!"

Cream stopped for moment to respond, "Can I see?"

"Yeah!" said Amy. She was ready to show off her "masterpiece"!

Hopping down from her chair, the little rabbit came over to see. She was amazed on how vibrant and cute her poster looked on the screen, but she also felt like there was too much pink. The background, the fonts, the digital stickers, there was just too much! Cream knew it was her friend's favorite color, but for the café's sake, she said, "Wow! I love it Amy! But, I think there's a bit too much pink..."

"What? I don't think so! It's totally cute!"

"Yes, but I think you should use other colors, too." Cream said, trying to put it as nicely as possible. But Amy wasn't buying it! To her, Cream was definitely criticizing her work as a "professional cute" decorator! What did she know?

"Well, let me see yours!" said Amy, clearly miffed at her comment. As pointless as it was to compare her work to a six year old's, she still had something to prove!

"But, mine isn't finished yet..." Cream said as they went over to her computer. Her poster's design was white and simple with a few flower stickers. She had the same idea as Amy by adding a heart near the title, but that was about it. Even though she said it wasn't finished, Amy still thought it was turning out to be plain and boring. She knew hers was going to be the "superior" one! But she didn't want come off as mean and said, "Looks...great so far! How's yours coming along, Big?"

"Uh... I put a froggy thing. Huhuhuhu." he chuckled.

"A froggy thing?" Leaving Cream's computer to check it out, she saw the blank canvas on his screen with a small frog sticker. That's it!? She had to make sure. "You're finished?"

"Mhmm. I like frogs. Especially Froggy."

"Where's the title of our café!? A-And the colors!? The glitter!?" She couldn't believe he said that with a straight face!

"...Oh. I didn't know how to put words and pretty colors. So I just put something that reminded me of my pal."

This was becoming more work than Amy thought! Cream said she used too much pink, hers was still in the works but it looked OK, and Big hasn't done anything but put a frog sticker! How could they come up with a poster that represented their café and that they will all like? After some thought, that's when Amy hatched an idea! "Guys! Let's combine our ideas together! We can make an awesome poster that way!"

"But, how?" Cream asked. It sounded like a nice idea instead of working independently.

"I'll show you! Come on over to my computer!"

* * *

As Amy was clicking away in her chair, she was working on a new canvas and had Cream and Big point out the things they wanted on the poster! She added in what she wanted too, but arranged the stickers and the colors in a way that would looked nice. She was able to put in some pink, Cream got to add her floral touch, and Big was able to put his frog sticker! And before they knew it, Café Team Rose's official poster was born!

"We did it!" said Amy and Cream as the two girls high-fived!

"Woohoo!" cheered Big!

"Chao Chao!" Cheese and Chocola cheered along!

* * *

After printing several copies of the poster, it was finally time to post them around the city! Amy gave them each a stack they could handle. Cream carrying the smallest stack while Big has the biggest! As they left the room and were about to head out, the bells to started ring! Someone came in!

"Oh, so now someone comes!" Amy said, laughing a bit at the timing. Cream laughed along with her. Who could it be? As they neared the entrance to check it out, they discovered it was the panda who dropped her things at the grand opening. AKA, the "rival"! She even had a group of ten girls behind her, all wearing blue T-shirts with Sonic's face on it! Except for the panda herself for some reason. What was going on!? Amy dropped her posters as they scattered and just stood there, staring at what seems to be more fangirls! For a girl in love, this was a hard pill to swallow without losing your marbles!

"...Oh, hi! I remember you!" Amy finally said to the panda with a smile before saying something to the other girls, "Um, nice shirts!"

The panda tried to make eye contact, but she was just too shy, "These are...my Sonic Fan Club members. I really like this place, so I thought I'd bring them here. I'm the leader of the club, but I don't wear my shirt because...I-I just don't..."

Amy mentally choked when she said Sonic Fan Club! Cream thought it was so nice of her to bring her club members and said, "I'm so glad you like our café! Mr. Sonic is a good friend of ours."

Amy had to shake any sort of feelings about this and do her job as the manager of Café Team Rose. She wanted to change the subject anyway, "W-Well, let's get you girls something to eat! Team Rose, let's get to work!"

* * *

 **To be continued! Team Rose will be right back!**


	6. Episode 06: Just Believe!

Team Rose had to put their advertising on hold so they could serve their newest guests! The Sonic Fan Club! The club members were the only customers there, but they revived the café and saved the day! Amy wasn't taking it so well, but at the same time, she knew this was an opportunity to attract more customers. If the girls enjoyed the café just as much as their leader did, it was likely they'll spread the word to others! But, why did they have to be in love with Sonic!? Amy tried her best not to get distracted by the talking girls as she took some of their orders. The whole club couldn't sit at one table together, so they were separated into smaller groups. She couldn't help but eavesdrop on a conversation behind her while she was in the middle of writing down an order:

"I guess this place is pretty cute." said an orange tabby cat, "But, it's just our club here! Talk about boring. I don't know what our leader saw in this place other than the "cute" factor."

"Maybe all the people left in the morning?" asked the fluffy white poodle sitting at the table with her.

"Who knows? If I was on a date with Sonic, I don't think I'll ever take him here!"

"Haha! I don't think I would either. It's way too cutesy in here for a guy like him."

"I know, right? He would never step foot in here!"

When Amy caught this bit of the conversation, she was boiling like a hot tea kettle! If Big had them already squared away with their drinks, she would have loved to dump it on their heads! How could they be so sure Sonic would never come to her café!? The café she's been working so hard on! The very reason she opened the café in the first place! How dare they!

The girl who was waiting for Amy to finish her order saw her gazing down angrily at her notepad. The customer was confused, even a bit scared that she was probably the cause of Amy's sudden shift in behavior, but that wasn't the case at all! "Um... Are you gonna...finish taking my order now...?"

Snapping out of it, the pink hedgehog quickly puts on her bright smile and says, "Sure thing!"

* * *

Big was standing in one place, not taking a single order. Now that real customers were around, he was nervous to put Amy's advice into action. He didn't want to mess up anymore. He wanted to remember things. He wanted to be the best waiter he could be! But his fear was keeping him from approaching any table, until one of the girls of the club called out from her table, "Excuse me! Are you a waiter? We need two menus over here please!"

Startled, he looked left and right before turning around to see the person with her hand raised, "C-Coming!"

Arriving at their table with the two menus, he handed them to the girls. He was also mentally repeating himself to write faster as he took out his notepad, "Um... Can I start you off with some drinks...?"

"Yeah, two cold waters please."

"Okey dokey!" Big said. He could remember that! At first, he was slowly writing the order but remembering what Amy said, he picked up the pace! "Two...! Cold...! Waters...!"

The two girls sitting there had puzzled looks as he said their order out loud in such a way. Was he stressed or something? They couldn't tell. But he sure looked determined to get their order on paper! When Big stopped writing, he noticed that his words came out as scribbles! He was writing TOO fast! But even though he wrote too fast, the order was still fresh in his mind because of it! Amy's advice worked, and he couldn't have been happier! Smiling, Big just flipped to another page and started over. And this time, he just slowed down and it came out fine. Good for Big! He was so happy that he had to let it out! "I did it! I got your order! You said two cold waters! I'll be back! Huhuhuhu."

The girls looked at each other before looking back at him as he left. They thought he was a total weirdo. But Big couldn't wait to tell Cream the good news!

* * *

Happily entering the kitchen, Big had the small sheet of paper raised up in his hand as he ran in, "Cute rabbit! I got the order right! They want two cold waters!"

Cream smiled when Big came in the kitchen so happy! She was proud of him and said, "That's great, Mr. Big! I'll get the drinks right now." Then, the little rabbit flapped her long ears to fly over to the cabinet where the cups were stored. She was too short to reach up on her own feet. Opening the cabinet and carefully taking out two glass cups, she closed the cabinet and placed the cups on the counter. Cream then made a landing in front of the fridge. The handle was low enough for her to reach, so she opened it without a problem! Taking out a glass bottle containing the cold water, Cream closed the fridge and walked back over to the counter. The bottle was a little heavy for her, so she had to use both hands to pour the water evenly in each glass. "All done, Mr. Big!"

"Oh, goodie! I'll get the tray." Big said, walking over to a stack of them and lifting one up. He then headed over to the counter to pick up one glass at a time to put on the tray. After that, he exited the kitchen, still feeling good about his accomplishment!

* * *

Amy came in the kitchen soon after Big, but she wasn't in a good mood like he was. The conversation she overheard earlier was starting to make her sad rather than angry. What if the café really was too cutesy for Sonic? Will he run away like he always does? Was opening a café a complete waste of time? She tried to get rid of these thoughts, but she couldn't help but wonder. Cream saw how unhappy she looked and asked, "Amy? Are you OK?"

She gave a sigh, "Not really... But, we need a slice of strawberry shortcake."

"There's one already made up front inside the display case." Cream said.

"Oh...sorry... See you later..." said Amy, slowly turning around to leave the kitchen.

"What's wrong? Would you like to talk?" Cream asked.

With her back faced to the little rabbit, Amy stopped walking to answer, "...It's just...I really want Sonic to come to our café. I'm starting to worry he might not come..."

"Mr. Sonic is our friend. I think he will stop by." she responded with a gentle smile.

"Really?"

"Yes. I believe in Mr. Sonic!"

Believe in Sonic? Cream's right! As his "future wife", Amy had to believe in him like no other! A smile appeared on her face as she turned around to face Cream, "You're right! I believe in him, too! Whatever to those girls, I'm going to make this the best café he's ever been to!"

"...Girls?"

"Yeah! They were saying all kinds of stuff, but I'm not going to let them bring me down!"

Cream gave a nod, "That's right Amy!"

"Thanks Cream! I better get going now!"

With hope restored, Amy left the kitchen in good spirits! From here on out, no matter what anyone said, she was going to keep running Café Team Rose with her two best friends! Who knows what the future has in store?

* * *

Together, Amy, Cream, and Big served the ten girls with flying colors! Amy didn't get distracted anymore by the talking club members and was able to take orders as her cheerful self! Cream got the orders right out with the help of Big, and even Cheese and Chocola pitched in, too! It was a success for Team Rose! Lunch time came to an end, and the club leader thanked them with a bow, "Thank you so much for the wonderful experience." she turned around to face her members, "Did you girls enjoy your time here?"

The girls cheered and clapped as they gave a definite, "Yeah!" except for the tabby cat and the poodle. They were party poopers anyway.

"It was no problem!" said Amy! As much as she didn't like the extra "rivals", she was starting to warm up to the panda. In fact, she was looking forward to her next visit!

All of a sudden, Big picked Amy up to give her a big hug, "I'm so happy! I can't thank you enough! I got all my orders right!"

Struggling to talk and breathe because of how tight the hug was, Amy says, "You're...welcome...Big!"

Cream and The Sonic Fan Club laughed and giggled as they watched the large cat hug the smaller pink hedgehog. What a great day it turned out to be for Team Rose!

* * *

 **To be continued! Team Rose will be right back!**


	7. Episode 07: It's Team Chaotix!

Until the late afternoon came around, Amy, Cream, and Big were taking a well deserved rest. No one came in after The Sonic Fan Club, which was actually a good thing for them. They sure were beat! But now, Amy was ready to get the posters up for the citizens of Grand Metropolis to see! Feeling recharged from the break, she hopped down from the fuchsia couch and came in the dining area where Cream and Big were, "OK, you guys! Are you ready to do some advertising?"

"Yes!" Cream said. She was sitting at their favorite table by the window with Big.

"OK." Big said.

"All right! Let's go get our posters!" Amy said! When The Sonic Fan Club dropped by, they had to put away the posters in the computer room. So, after they went in the back to pick up their assigned stacks again, the team of three headed out the café and into the bustling city!

* * *

Amy was smiling as she walked along the sidewalk, leading the way as Cream walked behind her and Big behind the little rabbit. The sun was still shining, but it wasn't too hot. A nice breeze would occasionally blow as they walked. It sure was a beautiful day to advertise! Amy wanted to work their way up to the deeper parts of the city, so she started them off not too far from the café. Coming to a stop, Amy says, "Let's start here!"

"OK!" said Cream.

"Umm... Where do we post them?" asked Big.

"There's plenty of trees and telephone poles around here, so post them up on as many as you can!" Amy replied. She was feeling so ambitious for everyone to know about Café Team Rose! After the three nodded in agreement, they went on a posting spree! Amy wasn't far from the two as she used thumbtacks to secure the posters on the nearby poles. Cream had Cheese and Chocola help by holding down the posters on the poles so she could thumbtack it. Big was posting on his own like Amy, but he was doing a good job getting the posters up! Everything was going well, until the wind picked up! Amy and Big on a reflex held onto their posters so they wouldn't blow away. It was quite the strong breeze! Cream, on the other hand, was caught off guard since she was in the middle of posting on a tree! Her light weight couldn't handle the pressure of the wind and was blown away with her Chao!

"Aaaa!" she cried out, accidentally letting go of her posters as they scattered in the air!

Hearing Cream's cry, Amy looked up and noticed that the wind managed to blow away her and the posters! Not to mention, the two Chao! "Oh no!"

Big knew what to do! Taking out his trusty fishing rod, he casted the long line towards the sky, catching Cream with ease! He then reeled her in, bringing her back safe and sound on the ground. Amy praised his quick thinking, "Nice catch Big! It's been awhile since something like this happened. Talk about old times!" She was referencing the past when Team Rose first came to be! It felt like yesterday to her when they were on a search to find Froggy and Chocola.

"Thanks Mr. Big!" said Cream. She was so thankful to have him around!

"Huhuhuhu." Big chuckled. He was always happy to help a friend in need!

Cream then noticed Cheese and Chocola weren't around! "The wind must have blown away Cheese and Chocola, too!"

But at that moment, the two Chao were luckily close by despite how strong the wind was for them! They were fluttering together back to Cream, "Chao Chao!"

"I'm so glad you're OK!" Cream said! If they were lost, they would have to find Cheese too instead of just Chocola!

"The gang's all here!" Amy cheered! "But looks like we have some missing posters now. Let's just pick up the ones we can find!"

Then, the three began picking up the scattered posters. Since Cream had a small stack to begin with, they were able to find at least a few of them. Good thing Cream had most of her stack already posted! After picking up the ones they could find, they moved on and continued to post anywhere possible!

* * *

Later that day, the sun began to set, changing the sky from blue to shades of orange. The rest of the day was spent advertising, but together, they managed to cover a good amount of the city! There were still lots of places left to post, but this was a good start! Amy decided to call it a day, especially since Cream was suppose to be home before dark. But before they parted ways, Amy praised them for a job well done, "Great job today, you guys! We got a lot of posters up, so let's let them do their thing and show everyone our café! See you tomorrow!"

"Goodbye!" Cream said as she waved goodbye to her friends.

"See you tomorrow!" said Big, waving goodbye as well before leaving.

Café Team Rose was then closed for tonight. With their advertisements up and running, the only thing left was to hope others would see their posters and give their café a try!

* * *

When early morning arrived the next day, Team Rose got together in the café to do some practice runs before opening time! They were playing Café again, but this time, Amy chose to be the customer! Big kept up the good work and took her order while Cream got it right out! They were getting better and better, and Amy was happy to see the growth! When lunch time came around once again for most in Grand Metropolis, Café Team Rose was open and ready for business!

* * *

In the midst of the busy streets, a green crocodile had his eyes closed while bobbing his head to the music coming from his headsets. He wasn't paying attention to anything else around him, so if he bumped into a pole, he only had himself to blame! But, that most likely wouldn't happen because a fuchsia chameleon was walking by his side. Unlike his crocodile companion, the chameleon wasn't nearly as careless. He was silent as he observed their surroundings, ready for anything that could be a potential threat to them. Another Mobian was with them, which was a happy, cheerful bee! The bee seemed to be in a musical mood with the crocodile, flying behind the two as he happily sung a song he made up for all to hear! These three were no other than Team Chaotix! What could they be up to?

Suddenly, one of the posters Cream dropped yesterday came rushing towards Charmy! It surprised him as the colorful poster landed on his face, causing him to go flying back, "Whoa!"

Espio stopped walking to turn around. He remained calm, thinking Charmy was just being himself and doing something silly again. But, when he turned around, he noticed the bee was lying on his back on the ground with the poster covering his small body. Leaving Vector's side, he went over to Charmy to pick up the poster, flipping it over to read the message. He didn't bother helping Charmy up because he wasn't truly harmed. In fact, the little bee's energy returned as he sprung up to say, "What was that!? Hey, what's that, Epsio? I wanna see! I wanna see!"

Espio's golden eyes scanned the poster from top to bottom as he read aloud, "Café Team Rose. Come for the cutest and the most amazing dining experience ever. You won't regret it. Help wanted."

The name, Team Rose, sounded awfully familiar to Charmy, "Café Team Rose? Haven't we heard of that name before?"

When the song in Vector's headsets ended, he opened his eyes and realized his team wasn't around him anymore! And when he turned around, he also noticed he walked quite some distance from them! What were they doing!? Good and angry, he marched right over and snapped, "What are ya doing!?" Once he made it to them, he snatched the poster right out of Espio's hands to read it himself! As rude as he was, Espio just let it go. No sense on causing a scene in public.

"...A café, huh?" began Vector after he finished reading, "I wonder what the pay is like. They don't have it on here! You should always put what you're gonna pay your employees! Who runs this joint!?"

"I don't know, but Team Rose rings a bell!" said Charmy, "Should we check it out?"

"It does for me as well. But, I don't see a point on going." said Espio with folded arms. To him, the wording on the advertisement sounded like a bad gimmick. Most of the time, he could detect deception right away.

"We're going, boys!" said Vector as he started to head towards the direction of the café, "I'll just ask the owner personally! Just in case the pay is good!"

"Wait up Vector!" said Charmy as he flew right behind him!

After a sigh and a shake of his head, Espio had no choice but to follow them, "I have a bad feeling about this..."

* * *

Inside Café Team Rose, Amy was taking her time cleaning off a table with a towel until she heard the bell ring for the first time today! Excited, she left the towel on the table and says, "Big, finish cleaning the table!" and speed-walked right over to greet the guests!

"Okey dokey." said Big. He went over to the table to resume wiping the table for her.

With a smile, Amy says, "Welcome to Café Team Rose! How many to...day!?"

That's when she realized the guests were Team Chaotix! She hasn't seen them in forever! "Hey...I remember you guys!"

"So YOU run this place!" exclaimed Vector! Looks like he wasn't here for a friendly reunion. "Why didn't ya put the pay on your poster!? Are ya trying to mislead people!?"

Amy wasn't expecting him to raise his voice! "Uh... The pay...? ...Oh, yeah!" she said with nervous laughter, realizing her mistake, "Sorry! I think I forgot to add it on there..."

"Well, how much you pay then!? If I like what I hear, the boys and I will play here as a live band! We'll play at night 'cause we're busy during the day. Y'know, detective work! And believe me, we're really good, so you better have something worth our talent!"

A live band!? No one was expecting this! Not Amy! Not Espio! Not Charmy! No one! Amy would love a band to play for her café, but she totally forgot that she needed to pay people to get them to work! So far, it's only been Cream and Big working for her, and they worked for free. Or...maybe they did want to be paid! Could they be hiding the fact they want to be paid and expecting a paycheck soon!? She doesn't have the rings to keep paying people at all! To make herself look good for that moment, she said on a whim, "U-Uh, yeah! I'll pay you guys…10,000 rings a night!"

10,000 rings a night!? Amy knew good and well she doesn't have that kind of money! Vector's eyes turned into golden dollar signs! This was music to his ears and so, he says, "You got yourself a DEAL! WOO! This is more than I make in a week in the detective agency!"

This sounded too good to be true to Espio. He was already skeptical of their advertisement and uncomfortable with the girly atmosphere. He couldn't picture himself performing in a place like this, but it looks like it's about to happen. As for Charmy, he was excited about the pay too and couldn't wait to perform! "YEAH! This is gonna be awesome!"

What has Amy done!?

* * *

 **To be continued! Team Rose will be right back!**


	8. Episode 08: The Great Ring Rush!

Amy SO wanted to take back her insane offer of 10,000 rings, but she just couldn't bring herself to! If Vector was telling the truth about how good of a band they were, she could just imagine what it could do for Café Team Rose! But the question is, how will she get that many rings each and every night!? Not only this was driving her crazy, but Cream and Big's paychecks, too! Amy was standing there, overwhelmed with these thoughts while Vector was celebrating like he won the lottery!

"Boys...this is a start of a brand new, BEAUTIFUL beginning! Think about it! We'll be swimming in loads of cash every night! We're gonna be rich!"

"I can't wait!" added Charmy as he did a loop in the air! "Wheee! Lots of money!"

"Even for our talent, 10,000 rings is still unreasonably high..." said Espio. He doubted they'd rethink this whole thing, but he wanted to at least try and point this out. Amy knew Espio was right on the money about it, but she kept quiet. It really was unreasonably high, but she felt if she decreased the pay now, Vector might change his mind about performing!

"I know it feels like a dream, Espio, but believe it! We've struck gold!" Vector said, thinking Espio was happy with them. And that's when Espio just gave up. There was no stopping him now.

Now taking his leave with his team, Vector says, "We'll be back tonight! Look forward to it!"

"...OK! See you tonight!" said Amy, forcing a smile while slightly waving.

* * *

As soon as Team Chaotix left, Amy ran back into the dining room where Big was to freak out! "What am I gonna doooo!?"

Big was too occupied cleaning the floor with a mop, so he paid no attention to the conversation between her and the three detectives, "Huh? What's wrong, Amy?"

"Didn't you hear!? We're gonna have a live band playing tonight for the café, but I said I would pay them 10,000 rings every night they perform! I don't know how I'm gonna make that much before tonight!"

"Uh oh... This is bad..."

"I know! But, I really want them to play for us!"

"Umm... Maybe you should pay them less than that? That is a lot of rings..."

"I can't, Big! The leader of the band is really looking forward to swimming in that much cash after the concert!"

Cream peeped her head out from behind the wall that was connected to the kitchen. She wanted to make sure everything was all right since she heard Amy yelling. "Is everything OK...?"

"No...not at all Cream..." Amy responded.

"What's wrong?"

She let out a sigh before retelling the situation, "There will be a band playing here tonight, and I said I would pay them 10,000 rings. I don't know how I'm going to pay them... Oh, you guys have got to help me! I want 10,000 rings by tonight! EVERY night!"

"Every night!?" Cream was shocked! "Amy, I don't think that's possible!"

"We'll make it possible! Big, how much do you have right now?"

"Uh... I don't know. I will have to go home and check the jar where I keep my rings."

"OK, how about you, Cream?"

Cream hesitated before digging into her right dress pocket. She then opened her hand, revealing only three rings, "This is all I have. I was going to buy ice cream with it after work..."

"Ugh, it's not much..." Amy said. She couldn't blame her though. She doesn't have many rings herself. But...she does know someone who probably does! Or, at least, help them close to 10,000! "I got it! OK, Team Rose! Night will be here before we know it, so Big, go ahead and go get your jar! Cream, I want you to ask your mom for at least...9000 rings. No, go ahead and ask her for 10,000! We could really use her help!"

"My...mom!? But, Amy...!"

"Sorry Cream! But we've got to get going!"

* * *

Doing as she was told, Cream flew back home and made a soft landing in front of the door. During her flight, she was thinking about different ways to ask her mom. She really didn't want to ask, but what else could she do? She doesn't have the money, and Amy was really in a rush to get the rings she needed. After knocking a few times, Vanilla opened the door. She was surprised to see her daughter home so early. "Oh, hello, dear. What brings you home so soon?"

"Um, hi mama! I want...to ask you something..."

"Why, of course. Please step inside, dear." said the taller rabbit with a warm smile. She then stepped aside so Cream could come in.

After stepping inside, it took a moment for Cream to muster up the courage. But she knew she had to get it over with and asked, "...Do you...have 10,000 rings...?"

"Wh-What? I'm afraid not... Why do you ask?"

"We need it tonight for our café. There's going to be a band, and Amy wants to pay them that much, but she doesn't have the rings..."

Vanilla couldn't believe the band more so than Amy! "Oh, the poor thing probably doesn't understand how much she's paying! Why are they expecting that much from a child and letting it slide!? We will go to the concert tonight, dear! I would like to have a word with that band!"

* * *

As she waited for her friends to return, Amy was still in the café. She was on the computer in the computer room, working on a sign and editing their poster for the nightly concerts. At the same time, she was worrying about Cream and how she was doing. Amy could only hope Vanilla would give the 10,000 she desperately needed. But that's when Amy started to wonder... Does she even have 10,000 rings!?

* * *

Big arrived at his wooden hut in the forest. Walking over to his bed, he set Froggy there so he could start looking for the jar. But before he got to searching, he says to the frog, "Stay right there. OK, little buddy?"

Then, he walked over to his desk to check there first. Nothing was there, but dusts and a few fishing lures. Since the jar wasn't there, he bent down to check the wooden crates in his room. He was trying to remember where he last left it, but nothing came to mind. The jar was definitely lost...and Froggy soon disappeared, too! But Big didn't realize it yet since his search for the jar was keeping him busy.

* * *

The sun soon began to set once again in Grand Metropolis. Nighttime was on its way, and so was the first ever live concert in Café Team Rose! This would have been a joyous time for them, but with that 10,000 hanging over their heads, it was a stressful race against time! Barging in the café, Amy came back panting from posting advertisements all by herself! She was also rushing back to see if Cream and Big made it back yet. After catching her breath, she calls out, "Cream!? Big!? Are you guys here!?"

Her voice just echoed without a response. She then gave out a sigh of frustration as she paced back and forth, "This is just great! Didn't I tell them we didn't have much time!? I only asked Big to come back with his jar and Cream to ask her mom! What's holding them up!?"

*ring ring* suddenly went the bells. Turning around, Amy began to smile! Cream made it just in time before nightfall with Vanilla! Holding hands with her mom, the little rabbit says, "Sorry, Amy! I'm here!"

"Hello, Amy. How do you do?" asked Vanilla as she gave a warm smile to her daughter's friend. Little did Amy know that she was here to say a thing or two to their band!

"Cream! I didn't know you were bringing your mom!" Amy said, still smiling happily at their arrival! She didn't mind Vanilla being there, but what she did mind is those 10,000 rings! So, she popped the question in a whisper to Cream, "Did you ask...?"

Cream gave a nod and whispered back, "Yes, but she doesn't have 10,000..."

Shoot! Their last hope was Big now! But there really wasn't any hope because Amy didn't expect Big to have 10,000 rings before Vanilla. They needed a miracle and fast! Vanilla saw how tensed Amy looked and asked, "Amy, are you all right?"

"...I...could be better..."

"Oh, you poor thing... Do not worry. Cream has told me about you and your band, and I found the pay of 10,000 rings completely absurd! Please, allow me to speak with your band when they arrive. They should be ashamed of themselves!"

Speak with the band!? No, no, NO! This was NOT what Amy had planned! She might have been freaking out about the 10,000, but she still wanted to pay that amount and hope for a miracle! Now it became a bad thing Vanilla was there! Amy had to get her out the picture, even if she had to lie about it. Which, she's about to do! The future of Café Team Rose was in her hands! So, Amy says, "Uhhh, it's not about the rings at all, really! I'm worried about serving all those hungry customers who are coming to see the show! Ahahahaha!"

Vanilla insisted that she still spoke with them, "I still would like to speak with your band. But, I will help you tonight to get some of the stress off your shoulders. How does that sound?"

"Sounds...great!"

Cream continued to hold her mom's hand as she guided her towards the kitchen, "Let's cook in the kitchen, mama! Just like we always do."

"That's a wonderful idea, dear." said Vanilla.

When Cream and Vanilla were out of sight, the pink hedgehog sighed in relief, "Phew..."

That took care of that. For now, at least.

* * *

A full moon was out that night as Grand Metropolis's buildings were beautifully lit up in colorful lights. The band advertisement worked as Mobians that were up that hour were gradually coming in and filling up the café! The lighting inside the café was dim so the neon lights could give it that concert night touch! They had music playing in the background until Team Chaotix showed up and took the stage. It was hard to make out what everyone was saying, but Amy could hear some of the positive conversations that were nearby about tonight's upcoming performance:

"It's like a party in here! When's it gonna start?"

"I don't know, but I can't wait!"

"They looked so cool on the poster!"

She couldn't keep listening for long because a customer called her, "Waitress! We need some more drinks over here!"

"Coming!" Amy responded, going over to the table with a smile. While she was taking the order, she wondered where Big was. Really, where was he?

* * *

"Froggy! Where are you!?" Big was calling out in the dark forest! He sure wasn't worried about that jar or the concert anymore!

* * *

 **To be continued! Team Rose will be right back!**


	9. Episode 09: Musical Mayhem!

Team Chaotix were entering the café through the back door so the crowd wouldn't know of their arrival. Vector had his two members behind him as he opened the door. But before he stepped inside the dark room, he put an index finger in front of his long muzzle to shush them, just in case they made a sound. This was especially towards Charmy. He's usually the hyperactive one. Vector also had something he was pushing inside the room with both hands. When Charmy flew in, he found the light switch and turned the lights on. It was two huge speakers! Why did they need those for? Amy didn't have big speakers like that, but they worked just fine and were already set up for them! After giving the speakers one last push inside, Vector stopped for a moment to catch his breath, "Phew! All right boys, let's get these babies on stage!"

"OK!" said Charmy, "But, why are we bringing our own speakers again? They're huge!"

"I already told ya! I want the whole place blasting with our music! Watch 'em beg for an encore!" Vector responded as he started to push the speakers again towards the stage, "Remember, when I give you the cue, turn them on full volume!"

"Oh, yeah! Sure thing, boss!"

Espio remained quiet as he followed the two. He could care less about performing since he still believed the payment of 10,000 rings was a scam. Regardless of his stance on the matter, he was still going to do his job and get this night over with.

* * *

Amy was so busy waiting tables that she almost forgot to check the time! When she had the chance, she looked up at the electric pink clock. Team Chaotix should be here by now! She had to go meet up with them backstage, but who was going to take orders while she was away? Big wasn't around, and that really made things inconvenient. But that's when Amy remembered that she had Vanilla's help tonight! She then walked in a hurried pace towards the kitchen, dodging and saying, "Excuse me!" to the people who were in the way. When she arrived, she says, "Hey Cream! I'm going to check if the band is here, so I need you to wait tables for a bit!"

This was going to be Cream's first time waiting tables, but she was actually pretty excited to! With a nod, the little rabbit says, "OK! I'll be going mama."

"Be careful, dear. Have fun." said Vanilla. She was washing the dishes, scrubbing them until they were sparkling clean before rinsing them off with warm water.

* * *

It wasn't ideal to have Cream wait tables, especially since it was going to be her first time. But Amy trusted her enough to be responsible. She could've had Vanilla do it, but Vanilla was still more skilled in the cooking arena and could get orders out quicker. They have a huge crowd tonight, so every move counts! When Amy made it backstage, she noticed no one was around, so she checked the stage itself. There they were! Amy still greeted them with a smile even though she didn't have the rings they were anticipating, "Hey! You guys made-! WHOA!"

That's when she noticed the gigantic speakers behind them! They barely had no room for anything else! What happened to her speakers!? These were WAY too big!

Vector was adjusting the microphone to his height before turning to face her, "Hey! Impressed by the speakers, I see! Don't worry, the show's gonna be great! We'll have this place booming! 10,000 a night, here I come!"

"I-Impressed!? Booming!? Guys, I already had speakers! Where did you put them!?"

"Ah, I put them somewhere in back. These are much better!"

Amy sensed something bad coming. By "booming", she hoped that didn't mean blasting everyone's eardrums with their loud music. With hands on hips, she firmly says, "OK. But, you better not have the volume up too loud!"

But that's exactly what Vector had planned! So, he responds, "Whaddya mean? That's what a good concert is all about! Boys, let's get this party started!"

"YEAH!" exclaimed Charmy! He was on the right side of Vector and had his drum ready to go!

Espio was standing on Vector's left with his shamisen ready as well. Properly holding the guitar-like instrument, he waited for the curtains to open. Amy was starting to feel unsure about letting them play now, but she took a chance. Walking over to the curtains' pulley, she pulled it down to reveal what everyone's been waiting for! Team Chaotix!

Vector grabbed the microphone to shout, "Helloooo everybody! Team Chaotix is ready to rock the house! Get up outta ya seats and dance all night!"

"Dance all night! That's right!" added Chamy as he beat the drum a couple of times to pump up the crowd!

Their energy made mostly everyone in the café get up out of their seats to clap and yell, "YEAH!"

Amy came back from backstage to meet up with the cheering crowd. Everyone seemed to be in good spirits, so Amy thought it won't be so bad after all. Smiling, the pink hedgehog was starting to clap for them!

* * *

After grabbing the crowd's attention, Espio and Charmy began to wildly play their instruments while Vector sung loudly into the mic with confidence! More like, blasting everyone's ears off with confidence! The lyrics were virtually unreadable, the beat was off, this wasn't music to ANYONE'S ears! People were starting to angrily boo at them as they covered their ears! Amy had her ears covered with them while clenching her teeth. She was so mad! She wished she would have listened to her gut earlier! 10,000 rings? Please! They didn't deserve a single ring in her pocket! Cream and her two Chao were covering their poor ears, too!

When Vector paused his "singing" during a certain point in the song, he was able to hear the complaining crowd. But they didn't come off as angry to him and said, "Jeez, what an impatient crowd we got! Looks like they're ready to hear the best part! Charmy!"

Charmy got the cue and says, "You got it!" before fluttering over to the speakers. He turned the volume up to the max so they could perform the "best" part of the night! Together, the three used their Team Blast, Chaotix Recital! Their rambunctious performance became even worse! The "music" was so loud it was literally blowing up tables one by one, causing the people to run and scream!

* * *

Meanwhile, in the dark forest...

Big was still searching for Froggy while holding a lantern in his right hand to light the path. He could hear many crickets as he walked. "Froggy! Come out, little guy!"

At least this was way more peaceful than what's going on in the café. Maybe being late for work isn't always such a bad thing!

* * *

Back at the disaster in the café...

Amy had enough! Pulling out her Piko Piko Hammer, Amy leapt into the air and shouts, "Enough!" before bringing down the hammer with force on the right speaker! *BAM!*

Since Charmy was playing his drum on the right side of the stage, he was close to Amy's attack on the speaker and scrammed! "Aaaaa!"

Amy then charged over to the left speaker to give it a good swing! *WHAM!*

Both speakers were broken, and everyone's ears were finally saved!

Vector turned around to see Amy totally trashing his performance and snapped, "What are ya doing!? I thought you wanted a 10,000 ring performance!"

Amy sharply turned around to face him and snapped back, "This wasn't worth 10,000 rings! You're ruining everything!"

"Well, whether ya like it or not, we played tonight! Give us our 10,000, you little brat!"

"No! Back off!"

"Vector's right!" said Charmy as he fluttered to his side, "Bee bee bee! You owe us money!"

Amy was feeling too cornered about this now, so she blurted out, "I don't even have 10,000, OK!? Even if I did, it's still not worth it! You said you and your band were REALLY good!"

Espio could only facepalm. He knew it.

Vector was piping-mad now! "WHAT!? And you're a liar!? We are good! You're gonna get it now!" Then, he unleashed a powerful stream of fire towards Amy out of his mouth!

"Amy!" cried the voice of Cream as she witnessed the attack! She was coming to her rescue in the air as she scooped up the pink hedgehog in time!

"Whoa!" said Amy, "You're a lifesaver, Cream! Ah! Look out!"

Charmy was coming full force with his stinger! "Take this!"

"Oh!" Cream evaded the rushing attack as she held onto Amy, but the bee kept coming at her! She dodged and dodged, until she ran out of energy where they both fell!

"Ah!" the two girls cried out as they fell on the hard flooring of the stage! *THUD!*

"Sorry, Amy..." Cream said as she tried to get up. Luckily they weren't too high in the air where the fall could have really hurt!

"Uh, a little help here, guys!" said Charmy! He was stuck in the floor when he was trying to sting them! Espio heard his call and went over to pull him out. He was a free bee now!

As the fight continued between the two teams, people were flooding out the café in terror! It was a total war zone! But the fighting came to a stop when the voice of a woman demanded out of no where, "STOP THIS AT ONCE!"

It was Vanilla! Vector's heart skipped a beat when he saw the beautiful rabbit standing there below the stage...looking very displeased. But to him, she was still gorgeous as ever! "M-Ms. Vanilla!?"

"Mama?" Cream was standing behind Amy with her hammer held high at Vector. She was trying to protect her, but she felt comfortable lowing her hammer since her mom appeared. Not like Vector was going to attack now that she was there.

It wasn't everyday Vanilla displayed her anger, but violence was never something she tolerated. Like a mother scolding her child, she says to all of them, "All of you! Come down here and tell me what on earth happened!"

* * *

 **To be continued! Team Rose will be right back!**


	10. Episode 10: Vanilla Knows Best!

The only people left in the café were the two teams and Cream's mother, Vanilla. They were surrounded by fallen tables and spilled food and drinks. The stage wasn't too damaged despite them using it as a battlefield. The rest of the rooms in the café were untouched by the chaos, so that was a good thing, too. But before Amy and Cream could clean up the place, Vanilla wanted to know about everything that went down. She wasn't going to let anyone leave until she got to the bottom of the situation! But she calmed down once everyone was off the stage and in front of her, "All right... I want to hear everyone's side of the story one at a time. Cream, dear, please tell me your side first."

"Um... I'm not sure. I just saw them fighting after Amy broke the speakers. Amy almost got hurt by Mr. Vector on stage, so I went up there to help her..." Cream said. She didn't hear the conversation between them since everyone was screaming and panicking. She also wasn't on stage with them, so she couldn't make out what they were talking about.

"Almost got hurt?" said the taller rabbit, looking over at Vector's direction.

Vector was sweating with guilt when Cream mentioned that part. He didn't want her knowing that he almost hurt Amy! "I-I don't know what she's talking about!"

"Yes, you do!" Amy interjected! And to think he complained about her lying! "I could've been burnt to a crisp if your fire hit me!"

Vanilla gasped as she covered her mouth with her right hand in shock, "Fire!?"

"M-Ms. Vanilla, I can explain!" began Vector, "She was suppose to pay me 10,000 rings for my performance, but it turned out she lied all about it!"

"Yeah! She was a big fat liar, so he breathed fire at her while I tried to sting her!" Charmy proudly added. He thought they were giving Amy exactly what she deserved!

"Shaddap, Charmy!" said Vector, not wanting to make them look even worse! Although, telling him to "shut up" still wasn't very smart.

"So, you're the band Cream spoke of? Well, that was still no reason to try and hurt her! Did you really expect her to have 10,000 rings, Mr. Vector? She's just a young girl." said Vanilla.

"I, uh... Yeah, I did. But, if ya don't got it, you don't got it. She shouldn't have lied about it." Vector responded with folded arms.

He had a point. So, Vanilla sighed as she faced Amy, "Why on earth did you lie about such a thing, young lady?"

"...Well..." Amy began as she nervously made eye contact, "I actually wanted to take back what I said about paying them that much, but I thought if I did, he would change his mind about performing. I wanted them to play because we were really short on customers and workers..."

"What!?" said Vector, "So that was the reason! Unbelievable!"

"It doesn't even matter now! I don't want your stupid band playing here ever again anyway!"

"Why you little...!"

"Enough!" Vanilla butted in before the argument escalated, "We now understand each other. Please, I ask that the both of you apologize to each other right now and move on from this."

Neither of them wanted to be the first to apologize. But after a moment of silence, Amy was the first to genuinely say, "...I'm sorry..."

Vector then followed suit and said, "...Same here. But in the future, kid, just be honest."

"Very good." said Vanilla, "Now, Mr. Vector, I would like for you and your team to stay and help the girls clean up."

"Oh, all right... Let's get to cleaning, boys." said Vector.

"Aaaw! I don't wanna!" Charmy whined.

"Stop complaining and do it! Sorry, Ms. Vanilla! We'll get right to it!"

Espio could only sigh. Why does he have to when he didn't do anything at all? Oh, that's right. The three of them were being punished as a whole because of Vector.

* * *

About an hour later, the café was looking somewhat decent again. There were still objects that needed to be picked up, but the floors were now mopped clean from the spilled orders. Getting the place tidy again was easy since everyone had to help clean, but Amy's only concern were buying more tables. The ones she had exploded thanks to Chaotix Recital. "Oh, what am I going do? I need more tables!"

Vanilla was helping Cream stand up one of the tables that survived and said, "Don't worry, Amy. I will buy you more tables."

"Really? Thanks a bunch, Ms. Vanilla!"

The three detectives finished up cleaning the other side of the room.

"Done and done." said Vector as he dusted his hands off, "We're leavin' now!"

"Wait, Mr. Vector!" said Cream before he started to walk out with his team, "Um...do you mind...coming back to the café and work here?"

"Huh!?" both Vector and Amy said! Why is she asking this after all that's happen!?

"I know Amy doesn't want you to perform here again, but we still really need the help. It's only been me, Amy, and Mr. Big working here. Please...won't you?" asked the little rabbit with pleading eyes. Amy probably didn't like her asking, but she took the future of Café Team Rose in her hands now.

As much as he didn't look forward to working along side the pink hedgehog, he didn't want to turn Cream down and possibly make her cry. Vanilla was watching, and he would have lost points for sure! Letting go of his pride, Vector says, "...Yeah. We'll be back!"

"We are!?" Charmy was surprised!

"Wh-What about our work as detectives?" Espio asked. He thought reminding him would make him change his mind. Besides, they couldn't work here during the day, so what was the point?

"We're still detectives, boys!" Vector couldn't help but laugh, "We'll take days off when it's a slow day and stop by the café!"

Espio just couldn't get a break! Charmy was just totally confused! They couldn't play as a band anymore, so what else could they do?

"Thank you Mr. Vector!" said Cream!

"Chao Chao!" said Cheese and Chocola as they danced and cheered!

"That's wonderful!" said Vanilla with a smile, "I will also come by and help you girls anytime."

Café Team Rose now has four new people thanks to Cream! She sure did turn the night around from a bad one to a good one! Amy now had a smile on her face as she exclaimed, "Awesome!"

It also turned out to be a good night for Vector when he heard Vanilla was going to be working at the café often! Blushing, he says, "Heh heh! Well, we'll see if we can come by tomorrow! Night!"

"Good night!" the girls all said together!

* * *

Everyone went home and Café Team Rose was closed again for another night. As for Big, he found Froggy and walked all the way back to the café, only to find out it was closed.

"...Oh." he says, "I guess I will have tell Amy tomorrow I couldn't find my jar. Let's go home, pal."

Then, Big left at his usual slow pace back home under the starry sky.

* * *

 **To be continued! Team Rose will be right back!**


End file.
